[Mick]

It's why when a competitor had their big annual three-day event with 800 clients coming in from all around the country, I bought out all the advertising at the local airport for a month (among other things).

I would be interested to know how you concluded that buying out all the advertising at the local airport "worked"? I am not saying it didn't, but I would like to know how you evaluated that choice.  I would expect most of the 800 clients of your competitor already knew your firm existed at least (you were not selling a "commodity" item). So  why was that a "good idea"?

As opposed to just getting under their skin?   ;)

We did subsequent prospecting of the competitor's clients, both for recognition's sake and for prospecting's sake.  Yes, I'm very familiar with ABA Rule 7.3 re: solicitation, and you're right, at that level of client, there are numerous pre-existing relationships and other recognition. Slightly less than half mentioned the ads -- and about 4 in 5 of those where we drove additional opportunities -- so we concluded it was worthwhile.

The Chair of the firm at the time -- a man who had argued in front of the USOC on two occasions -- said it was the best marketing he'd ever seen.

[Mick]

It's why when a competitor had their big annual three-day event with 800 clients coming in from all around the country, I bought out all the advertising at the local airport for a month (among other things).

I would be interested to know how you concluded that buying out all the advertising at the local airport "worked"? I am not saying it didn't, but I would like to know how you evaluated that choice.  I would expect most of the 800 clients of your competitor already knew your firm existed at least (you were not selling a "commodity" item). So  why was that a "good idea"?

As opposed to just getting under their skin?   ;)

We did subsequent prospecting of the competitor's clients, both for recognition's sake and for prospecting's sake.  Yes, I'm very familiar with ABA Rule 7.3 re: solicitation, and you're right, at that level of client, there are numerous pre-existing relationships and other recognition. Slightly less than half mentioned the ads -- and about 4 in 5 of those where we drove additional opportunities -- so we concluded it was worthwhile.

The Chair of the firm at the time -- a man who had argued in front of the USOC on two occasions -- said it was the best marketing he'd ever seen.